Goodbye Summer Hello Trouble!
by QueenofRhymes
Summary: Peter nearly drowned. Sam saved him. They got off on bad terms. Both have suffered. Both have been hurt. Both have secrets they'd rather hide for the rest of their lives. What will happen when their paths cross? Will the secrets be unraveled or will they remain buried for the rest of eternity? Warning: spideynova
1. Chapter 1

_Goodbye Summer. Hello Trouble_

The waves collided with the massive rocks, only to shatter at the impact, creating a beautiful rainbow of foam. The sea illuminated the rays of the sun and seemed as though it was shining brighter than the star itself. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. The day was perfect minus the strong wind, but, unlike most, Peter liked it. In fact, he loved it because the wind created strong waves; some of them were even enough to challenge an experienced diver like him.

Though Peter was quite confident in his abilities, he had to admit that today in particular the waves were a lot stronger and dare he say it dangerous. The sea appeared to be quite ferocious because of the way it had taken possession of at least half of the beach. Peter sighed and shook his head. He couldn't believe that he was starting to get a bit scared. This was probably one of the last days of summer and he was hesitating to do the things he loved most – swimming and diving.

After a few minutes Peter dismissed the little voice inside his head that told him to be careful, that he had been diving for the past two hours and as a result he was tired and shouldn't go in too deep. His instincts told him to be extremely cautious. They warned him that it was far too dangerous, but being the adrenaline junkie he became during days like this one, he ignored them completely.

With a few determined steps Peter found himself on the wet part of the sand. He could hear the draconic waves from afar. He could see the fierce foam cover their surface when they were still at least twenty, maybe even thirty feet away from the sand. His eyes narrowed. No wonder the lifeguards were so cautious and their whistles were heard every few minutes. It really was life threatening to dive and swim more than five meters away from the beach. And Peter loved it.

Peter emerged to the surface and took a much needed breath of fresh air. He smirked when he heard the frantic whistles in the distance. He turned around and saw some of the lifeguards walking around frantically and wondering whether it was a good idea to swim to him and scold him for disobeying their safety regulations. Peter chuckled when he heard the faint shouts but he ignored them. Instead he turned back around, breathed in some air and dived back into the darkness of the fierce sea.

"What the hell is that guy thinking?!" Luke asked incredulously as he stared at the brunette that had wandered very far away from the safety of the beach.

Sam, who was busy making sure the other people in the sea were safe, turned around and spared his friend a glance. His gaze then followed the place where Luke's finger was pointing at and he gasped. Someone was there and was swimming like a pro, but Sam could definitely see that said person was finding it hard to continue his pace. Checking one last time that no one had wandered too far away, Sam motioned to one of his colleagues to take over for him. He then went to Luke's side and watched how the boy emerged and submerged in a matter of seconds.

"He's good." Sam commented.

"Yeah but that won't save him from drowning if he isn't careful." Luke said through gritted teeth.

Sam nodded. He had found it a bit hard to swim fast that morning. The waves were dangerous and if you weren't careful enough, one of them might surprise you and make you drown in a matter of seconds.

"What are we going to do then?" Sam asked. "He doesn't heave our warnings."

"I'll keep an eye on him but-" Luke began replying when but faint shouts were heard in the distance, attracting both of the boys' attention.

Sam and Luke turned around and their eyes started searching frantically the surface. Soon enough they spotted two young girls, not older than the age of 10, maybe eleven, who were trying to swim back to shore, but couldn't escape the waves' tight grasp. The two boys didn't hesitate for a second and seeing as they were closest, took off their jackets and hurried into the sea.

It wasn't hard to reach the two girls as they hadn't wandered off too far away. Luke was halfway near the shore and Sam was just behind him when they saw another lifeguard waving his hands distraughtly at them. Sam narrowed his eyes and turned around. His gaze fell on the boy who had captured his attention earlier. He was drowning. Sam's eyes widened. He quickly turned around and was grateful that Luke had understood what his friend wanted to do for had managed to reach a place in the water where the girl could step and was now heading back. It took him only a second to reach Sam, who quickly handed him the other girl. Then he rushed towards the boy, who was fine only a minute ago.

Peter didn't know how it happened. One minute he was fine and was about to reach the surface and gulp in some air and the other he was crashing down into the pit of darkness called sea. The wave had come out of nowhere and had surprised him greatly. As a result it sent Peter thundering down.

It was getting harder and harder to breathe. His lungs were burning and his eyes were drooping. He wanted to succumb to his body's wish and pass out but Peter knew that that was not an option. That was the reason why he fought against said urge with all the energy he had left and was proving to be successful. He managed to emerge once more only to end up imploding once again when another wave caught him off guard.

The worst was that his mouth was opened in order for him to take the much needed breath of air when it all happened. Now his lungs were filled with water, he couldn't breathe, only cough, ending up getting even more water into his lungs. The darkness was surrounding him and for the first time Peter was starting to panic. He tried to move his limbs but they wouldn't cooperate. He tried in vain to fight off that all so tempting desire to just lose consciousness and end it all. And in the end he did.

Sam cursed under his breath. He wished this idiot had followed their safety regulations. If he had done what they said, now he wouldn't be in such a horrible mess. If he had heaved their warning, he wouldn't be drowning; he would be safe; his life wouldn't be in danger; he would be damn fine!

Sam brushed those thoughts aside. Now wasn't the time to dwell on the past. What happened to his sister wasn't going to happen to this kid. And Sam was going to make sure of it.

He reached the place where he had last seen that boy's head pop up only to disappear out of sight again. Sam then drew in a deep breath and dived in. It took him only a few seconds to locate where the kid was. Sam's eyes widened when he saw that the other was unconscious.

_Damn it! _Sam thought. _Hang in there. I'm coming. _

With newfound strength he rushed forward and grabbed the boy's hand, pulling him upwards. He soon wrapped an arm around said boy's waist and was swimming towards the surface. After few seconds Sam emerged and started swimming frantically towards the shore. He knew that every second was precious and hoped that the boy in his arms was going to be alright.

Sam reached the beach after a few minutes and dragged Peter with him. He laid him on the sand and started pushing hard on his chest for a few seconds. Sam then proceeded to give him mouth to mouth resuscitation. He repeated the process a few times, praying that the boy was going to be ok.

After the fifth time he repeated the process Luke stepped out and was about to take over, saying:

"Come on man. You're tired. Let me take over."

"No." Sam answered, continuing to deliver CPR to Peter.

Luke waited for another two minutes and noticed that there had been no change and most of all that Sam was panting and sweating. He cursed under his breath and decided to try for a second time to talk some sense into his friend.

"Sam. Sam. Sam!" Luke screamed.

The third yell was loud and clear and the message it held was one Sam couldn't ignore. That was why once he was finished giving mouth to mouth again he went on to pushing hard on Peter's chest, while glancing at Luke every few seconds.

"You need to stop. He hasn't woken up in five minutes. He's probably gone."

Sam didn't listen. He only continued as though none of Luke's words had sunk in. This went on for another minute when Luke had had enough.

"Sam. Sam!" He screamed, kneeling down and grabbing both of Sam's hands. He then added, "That's not Kaelynn!"

Once he heard his sister's name, Sam froze. His shoulders began shaking and his head was lowered. Luke regretted bringing that delicate topic up but he knew it had to be done. He abhorred the tragedy that had stricken Sam's family three years ago but he was well aware that the wound was still fresh and that Sam was still blaming himself for what had happened. Luke bit his lip when he sensed that something was terribly wrong with his friend. His shoulders had begun shaking vigorously and his hands had covered his face. Luke moved a hand to touch Sam's shoulder and was about to try and calm his friend down when he heard laughing.

Luke jerked his hand away as though it had been burned and proceeded to stare at his friend. He was laughing. He was freaking laughing. There were tears in his eyes when Sam looked up but Luke couldn't tell whether it was from the sudden hysterics Sam had just been sent into or the fact that he was in fact crying. He hoped that the salty liquid hadn't been triggered by the abrupt pain and emptiness and probably guilt that hit Sam, who was left utterly unguarded.

There was a sudden gasp of air and Peter's eyes shot open. He then tried to get up only to have someone lay a hand on his chest, preventing him from doing so. Peter glared at the offending limb but once his eyes traveled upwards his scowl and angry look completely diminished. He could only gape and stare.

_Damn this guy's hot. Wait. Why the hell is he touching me__?! __What happened__?_

Suddenly the sexy lifeguard answered his last question as though he had read his mind.

"You nearly drowned out there." Sam said and added, "Next time try to be more careful and don't go diving when the waves are that strong and high. Got that?"

Peter narrowed his eyes and retorted:

"I was perfectly fine."

"No you weren't." Sam replied.

"I didn't need saving. I appreciate the help but for the record I am pretty good at swimming so your assistance was unneeded." Peter responded, knowing full well that every last word was a lie except for his abilities, of course. He was a great swimmer.

Sam pinched the bridge of his nose. Luke noticed that movement and knew exactly what it meant. His friend was going to lose it sooner or later. That was why he decided to intervene and hopefully manage to end this without hell breaking loose.

" My name's Luke Cage. What's yours?" He asked, figuring that it was best to start from there. But if that boy continued acting the way he had the past few minutes, Luke's self-control might slip as well.

"Why do you ask?" Peter questioned, earning himself a small glare from Luke.

"Just forget it Luke. He isn't going to answer. Plus he doesn't have to." Sam suddenly said.

Both boys looked at him in disbelief. Peter couldn't believe how patient this guy was while Luke couldn't comprehend when Sam had developed such a solid self control.

"Why are you being so mature and serious? Normally I wouldn't put up with myself if I acted they way I have just had." Peter queried.

Luke immediately slapped his forehead, while Sam looked down, then up and his eyes instantly fell on Peter's. The sadness, guilt, anger, anguish and all different shades of emotions that were swirling inside Sam's orbs were enough to take Peter aback. He instantly regretted asking that question.

"It's a long story. Just make sure you don't do it again. The sea is wonderful but as much as people hate to admit it sometimes it can be dangerous as well." Sam said with such seriousness and maturity that Peter was surprised even further. Somehow the tone, the behavior, even the words didn't suit the boy before him. He should be carefree, impulsive and lash out at Peter because he had acted like an ungrateful jerk.

"Alright. I'll try but I can't promise anything." Peter replied, choosing not to pry. After all, he had only made a few assumptions. He barely knew this guy. Relying on a vague and evidence lacking hunch wouldn't be the smartest thing to do.

Sam nodded and then got up. He went next to Luke and while patting him on the shoulder, said:

"Make sure he gets medical treatment. He was unconscious for quite some time." Luke nodded his answer, deciding that it was best not to speak or else he might lose his patience and ask Sam if today's events had actually had an impact on him.

Before Sam went out of sight, he heard a faint 'thank you' and 'I'm sorry' being shouted in the distance and somehow it managed to lighten him up a little. Smirking slightly, he turned around and yelled his answer:

"You're welcome. Just don't become a damsel in distress next time."

He then turned around and while he was walking to his car, he could swear he heard a faint yell 'shut it bucket-head' from far away. He chuckled. Really? Bucket-head? He could understand the use of a nickname for the boy didn't know his name and neither did Sam his, but of all the possibilities he chose bucket-head. Looks like that kid had webs for a brain. And that was when Sam came up with the kid's nickname. Web-head! It fitted him perfectly. Too bad Sam couldn't call him that for they had both gone their separate ways.

The night was quite cold. There were no clouds which meant that the possibility of raining was very low. Nonetheless, Sam had brought his umbrella with him. Something inside told him that it might rain. It was hard to explain but Sam was never one to question his instincts.

Having walked for a few minutes, he was now in front of Luke's house. His friend had decided to throw a party for one last time before summer ended and naturally Sam wouldn't miss it for the world. He went inside and was immediately greeted by none other than Luke.

"Hey man glad you could come." Luke greeted.

Sam grinned and asked playfully:

"Why so happy? Will the party be filled with boredom without me?"

"Modest as always." Luke sarcastically commented.

"Of course." Sam responded.

The two shared a brief hug. Luke then patted Sam on the back and couldn't help but ask:

"You sure you're feeling okay?"

Sam's grin faltered but didn't diminish completely. It was instead replaced by a fake smile as Sam nodded. Luke sighed and rubbed the back of his head. He decided, however, not to question the matter further. After all they were best friends. If Sam wanted to tell him something, he would. Just as Luke recalled today's events, he remembered a particular detail he had forgotten to mention.

"I invited Peter by the way." Luke said out of the blue, forgetting that Sam didn't know who Peter actually was.

Sam's eyebrows furrowed and he asked in confusion:

"Alright but who's Peter?"

"That would be me." Someone suddenly said, drawing both of the boys' attention.

Sam quickly turned around and his eyes widened slightly. Before him was standing none other than the prick he had saved today. Actually Peter wasn't exactly a prick, but Sam couldn't help calling him that way.

"My name's Peter Parker by the way. I figured it'd be better to come and introduce myself the way it should be done. And also to apologize for the way I acted. It was unneeded and uncalled for. You saved my life after all." Peter rambled nervously, scratching the back of his head.

Sam found the gesture quite cute. He couldn't help but grin at the boy before him and blush because now he could actually take a good look at Peter and he would lie if he said he didn't find the sight before him very attractive. Peter's light brown hair was slightly ruffled probably because he either hadn't had time to brush it or had been running both of which signaled that he was afraid of being late. His blue eyes were shining yet there was a shadow lingering in them. One that appeared to be suspicious and Sam found himself being drawn to that particular trait. There was something about this guy and Sam was going to find out exactly what it was.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**A/N: This was supposed to be a one-shot. A one-shot. Naturally my wonderful muse decided to take a different root. And chose to make it a multi-chaptered one. **

**I would like to apologize for any mistakes I've made. Also this idea is just a plot bunny. Let's see where it'll lead us. **

**I will try to update every Friday but seeing as school is just around the corner some updates may be delayed with a day or two meaning. **

**Warning: Yaoi. **

_Please review!_

**Until next time I update and/or post a story my fellow readers,**

_~ QueenofRhymes ~_


	2. Chapter 2

Sam realized he had been staring at Peter for quite some time now. The confused and mostly questioning look the boy was giving him was enough to jerk Sam out of his daze.

"Sorry." He muttered.

Peter grinned and replied:

"No need. Like I already said – let's put today's events behind us."

Sam fought the urge to chuckle. This kid appeared to be a bit dense. That was good. Sam didn't need someone who would be able to read him well. He needed someone he could get along with. No more, no less.

Peter noticed that the boy before him had spaced out once again. Things were starting to get suspicious. Perhaps Sam had forgiven him for acting the way he had and was now thinking about a different thing entirely. That thought piqued Peter's interest and he couldn't help but question just how much mystery there was around this sexy lifeguard.

Suddenly something registered in Sam's head. Peter had told him 'like I already said'.

"Wait. When did you suggest we put the past behind us?"

Peter's eyes narrowed slightly and he appeared to be contemplating what to say. After a few seconds a sheepish smile appeared on his face and he said a bit nervously:

"I said let's put today's events behind us, not the past. I wish it were that easy."

Sam's brows furrowed. He couldn't quite grasp what Peter meant with the last sentence. Unable to put the pieces together, he huffed and asked:

"You wish what was easy?"

Peter pinched the bridge of his nose. He hated it when he had to explain something simple. School hadn't begun yet and he had started to get annoyed. Perhaps after three years of being the nerdy, thorough student Peter had grown tired of it. After all, the last year had been filled with a lot of changes, one of which was quite dramatic.

"I wish it was easy to put the past behind us. Are you always that slow on the uptake?" Peter questioned.

Sam's eyes narrowed slightly. His fists clenched and unclenched and those small gestures made Peter regret asking him that question. It seemed that Sam had a short fuse, which surprised Peter because earlier that day the boy had appeared to be quite the opposite. Peter wondered what had happened to create such different traits in one person. Or perhaps it was only his imagination. After all, Peter did tend to look too much into things sometimes.

Sam sighed. He had managed to calm down but something inside him had riled up at that small innocent question. Something about the way Peter had added something else to it with his tone made his blood boil. Was this boy implying Sam was stupid? Did it mean that Peter was very intelligent or just had a huge ego or both? Sam didn't know but a part of him couldn't deny that it wouldn't mind finding out.

"Sometimes. I'm just tired."

That drew Peter's attention and he couldn't help but ask:

"Why?"

That question caught Sam slightly off guard. He narrowed his eyes slightly and looked Peter up and down. He was aware that his scrutiny might have made the other boy feel uncomfortable but right now Sam didn't care. There was something suspicious about that question. It seemed as though Peter was trying to find something else with it. Perhaps he was just a curious idiot that didn't know when to bite back his tongue and stay quiet or maybe he enjoyed prying into other's people lives? Honestly Sam didn't know and he didn't want to find out.

Suddenly a thought stroke him. When had he become so dubious and distrusting? Had what happened three years ago made him so defensive? Was it normal to behave in such a way? Sam knew that it was reasonable to be guarded and not naïve but it was a whole different story to be cynical or skeptical. And Sam didn't want to be either of those two. With a sigh he decided it would be best to try and be semi-honest with Peter. Perhaps they could even form some kind of friendship as time passed.

"You forgot I saved you ass today web-head." Sam said before he could rethink his words and mentally cursed himself. He had done it again – skillfully change the subject without the other person noticing. Damn it! It seemed that old habits did die hard.

Peter's cheeks turned a bright red color, probably from anger, and he couldn't help but huff.

"Where did that stupid nickname come from?"

Sam smirked and explained:

"You chose to call me bucket-head and seeing as I couldn't understand how you could've come up with that, I decided to call you web-head because you have webs for a brain. That and your swimsuit was blue and red, reminding me of a certain underrated superhero."

Sam then took a sip of his beer and smirked at the surprised yet slightly intrigued expression on Peter's face. The mix left Sam slightly bewildered. He was well aware that he had just insulted the boy in front of him and yet all he did was ask:

"Did it remind you of Spiderman?"

The question was strange and Sam couldn't comprehend how Peter's brain had analyzed the words said boy's ears had heard. It had probably only chosen to decipher the last bit of neural signals. What? Even Sam listened to what the teacher had to say when he desperately needed to pass the class. He had just chosen to listen the day his biology teacher had taught them the wonders of the nervous system.

"Kind of. I mean it was only blue and red. It didn't have any…" Sam tried to explain but Peter cut him off:

"Do you like Spiderman?"

Sam was obviously taken aback by that question. He didn't know what Peter meant by 'like'. 'Like' could mean a lot of things – that Sam was a fan or something deeper, for example, having a not to innocent crush on the superhero. Of course, Sam knew there was no way in hell he would ever meet Spiderman face to face, literally that was.

"If by 'like' you mean whether I appreciate what he does for the city and mainly the people, then yes, I do. He is one of the very few superheroes that continue to help us despite the fact that they get hardly any gratitude in return."

"Tell me about it." Peter said before her could stop himself. The curious look Sam was giving him set alarming bells ringing inside his head and he quickly came up with a way he could explain what he had said by adding, "I-I work for J.J as a photographer and I hear him make scathing comments about Spiderman every single day. I mean the guy has it bad as it is, no need to rub his failures in his face."

"What do you mean he has it bad as it is?" Sam questioned. He knew that recently the crime rate had risen and Spiderman was finding it hard to battle on at least four fronts nearly every night, but that didn't quite mean that he had failed. It only meant that despite the superpowers, underneath the mask he was only human. And like one he had his ups and downs as well.

"He does have problems in his own life. After all, though he has superpowers, he is a civilian and probably has other things to face in his personal life." Peter elaborated, hoping he didn't sound as though he had taken the matter too personally.

Sam was shocked at how well Peter had grasped the difficulties that came with having a secret identity and mostly how hard it was to be a superhero during the night and a civilian during the day. He soon got over his shock and that left room for other emotions to set in – confusion and suspicion. How did Peter know all that? And more importantly – how had he described it that well?

Sam sighed. Perhaps he was just looking too much into things. There was probably nothing out of the ordinary in knowing and being able to explain the troubles superheroes probably faced without their mask on.

The rest of the night passed quite well. Peter and Sam had been talking for a few hours now and so far they had found out quite interesting pieces of information about each other. For example, they were both seventeen and went to the same school: Abbervail High.

"That means we'll probably see each other now and then." Sam said with a chuckle, but then his brows furrowed and he couldn't help but ask, "Wait. Why haven't I seen you before?"

It was odd for Sam not to have come across Peter before. The school was quite small and there were around three hundred people, not counting the freshmen and sophomores. And despite the changes that had occurred, Sam was still communicative and managed to withhold a conversation with nearly everyone he knew.

"I'm new." Peter said all too quickly.

"Oh. I see. That makes sense. Where did you go to before?" Sam questioned, blind to how much impact that simple question could make.

Peter's eyes widened slightly. His head then bent down and he muttered something. Sam's eyes narrowed and he tried to figure out what Peter had said but was finding it hard to do so. When silence followed and it became apparent that no answer was going to come, Sam scratched the back of his head and decided not to pry. Instead he asked:

"Where are you from?"

"I was born here. You?"

Just as Peter asked that question old memories were evoked and came crashing back. They tied themselves around Sam's neck and made him start suffocating yet again. The pain spread through his veins like poison and burned the inside of his mouth and eyes. His limbs felt as though they weighed a thousand tons and couldn't be moved no matter how hard one tried. His mouth opened but his voice died down in his throat, crushed by the impact of the collision with the past.

"I was born in Arizona but my family moved here when I was ten." Sam said and was grateful that he hadn't choked or started crying.

Peter's eyes widened slightly at the change of tone in Sam's voice. It felt weary, cold and distant. It even seemed forced as though Sam was trying to swallow a lump in his throat that had no intention of leaving.

"I see. Was it hard?" Peter asked trying to find out what exactly had happened. Damn him for being so curious. But if Sam didn't want to answer, he would let it go. After all, when Peter hadn't uttered a single word, Sam had respected his privacy and hadn't pried into his life. Now if needed, Peter would do the same.

"Not really. It felt like a fresh start." Sam said and found that it wasn't that hard to open a crack of those hard walls he had built up around his heart. Perhaps he really could start over with a little help from Peter. He could only hope that with time Peter would open up a little to him as well.

"Something happened, didn't it?" Peter asked.

Sam nodded but said with his eyes downcast:

"Yeah but I'd rather not talk about it." He then added while looking Peter directly in the eyes, "Some other time, though."

Peter understood the message and couldn't help but smile. Without looking away, Peter said:

"Same goes for me."

And just like that the promise had been made, but there was a deeper meaning to it. It wasn't just to tell each other one day a secret or two. It wasn't a promise of life long friendship because neither of them had the luxury to make a promise of that kind. It was a promise to try and move on even if it was only slightly. It was a promise to try and become more faithful and less cynical and defensive. It was a promise to simply give the other a chance and see where this newfound acquaintanceship would lead. It was a promise to risk it and gamble with their trust once again.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

_Please review! _

Until next time I update and/or post a story my fellow readers,

_~ QueenofRhymes_


	3. Chapter 3

Peter huffed when he failed to fall asleep for the umpteenth time. He took a look at his phone and realized that it was now 3 a.m. He had been trying to fall asleep for two hours?! Now that was something new. Usually all it took for him to doze off was for his head to hit the pillow but now this task was proving to be quite difficult to accomplish.

_Why does it have to be this night__?!_Peter asked himself that question over and over again. He didn't know why it was so hard for his mind to simply switch off and surrender to sleep. He knew he was quite intelligent, even considered a genius by some, although he did not know why, but even the smartest people needed sleep in order for their brains to function properly!

Peter turned on his side and shut his eyes. He started counting sheep and after the tenth one screamed and buried his face in his pillow. It seemed he wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. He just hoped that last night's four hour sleep would be enough to help him get through tomorrow. Again the question for the reason for his lack of slumber came back. Peter refused to believe Sam was partially to blame for this, despite the fact that the boy hadn't done anything. He had simply been far too good-looking, far too damn mysterious and attractive. And why did Peter have to be so drawn to him? Wasn't it strange to feel such a strong connection to someone you had barely met?

_He did save my life. Is that the reason why I feel the need to be around him and help him__? __Yeah that's it. I feel indebted to him. Once I've paid off my debt I'll be alright and I'll stop feeling this way. _

But something felt wrong. Peter did not feel indebted to Sam. He was grateful that the boy had saved his life but Peter did not feel the need to be constantly around Sam and search for a way to pay him back. After all, you couldn't put a price to a man's life. Therefore you couldn't calculate the payment that would be required if someone saved yours. Now that that was settled one more question remained: Why was Peter so drawn to Sam? That, of course, brought along other questions: Did Sam feel it? Was he drawn to Peter as well? What did this connection mean? Could they become friends? What did Sam have to hide? Could he open up to Peter? And most of all – could Peter trust Sam?

A splitting headache had started forming. All this over thinking especially so late at night was not helping Peter at all. He rubbed his temples and sighed in contentment after a few minutes. The throbbing had ceased and that made a smile form on Peter's face. Perhaps he was just being delusional. Maybe he and Sam just clicked and that sort of connection he felt was only in his head. Probably his imagination was playing tricks on him again.

_Yeah that's it. I'm worrying over nothing. These feelings will probably disappear after I get to know Sam better if I get the chance that is._

With a semi-cleared head Peter got up from his bed and went to his closet. His fished out his Spiderman costume and put it on. If he couldn't sleep, he might as well go and do something productive like catching a few villains. Peter smirked as he remembered how flustered Sam was when Peter had asked him whether he liked Spiderman. He almost thought there was more to Sam's words. Surely appreciation did not make one blush that way did it?

_There I go again looking for something where there's nothing. I need stop; otherwise I might get disappointed again. _

Spiderman swung through New York at a rather high speed that night. It appeared something was troubling him for he nearly missed the top of a building when he shot a web at one of its angular walls. Spiderman never missed unless something was wrong. Nova allowed a frown to appear on his face. What did Spiderman have on his mind?

Nova had been stalking, no observing (yeah that's better) Spiderman for the past few weeks. He had even joined a few of his fights in order to help him but most of the time he lurked in the shadows and took out some of the idiots that had the stupidity to try and charge at Spiderman from behind. It wasn't that Nova thought Spiderman was weak. He didn't underestimate the other superhero's abilities. Nova had even heard of the infamous spider sense Spiderman possessed but sometimes even if there was a warning Spiderman did not have the time to react. And that was when Nova stepped in and knocked out a few accomplices while Spiderman took out the ring leader.

Suddenly the alarms of a bank nearby were set off and five armed men exited the lightless building with a huge bag of money or stolen goods, no doubt, in each of their hands. Nova scrunched up his nose and allowed a smirk to form on his face. It was time to show these idiots where they stood. Nova hoped that this time they would learn their lesson but seeing as this was the tenth, maybe eleventh or was it twelfth? It didn't matter which time it was. The point was that these criminals had suffered enough punches and kicks from both him and Spiderman quite a few times and still they tried again. Honestly, Nova sometimes wondered how they managed to escape from prison so many times. Probably they had someone to help them.

Nova flew towards the battle area as he liked to call it where Spiderman had already disarmed a few of them and had successfully captured some more in his webs. Kicking two of them to the curb, Nova landed swiftly right next to Spiderman, who managed to disarm the remaining robber. Standing with their backs to each other both of them looked around carefully. Each one of them took in their surroundings and searched for any signs of reinforcements or traps. None were detected. After about a minute or so they visibly relaxed and left the street just as a few police cars came around the corner.

"Glad you decided to join the fight this time and not stay in the shadows. I still don't know why you do it though. Both I and our enemies know when you're around." Spiderman told Nova as they landed on the roof of a nearby building.

Nova scratched the back of his head and was grateful for his helmet because otherwise Spiderman would be able to see his slight blush. Even after all these weeks and conversations they'd had, no matter how quick, Nova still found it hard to control his beating heart and erratic breathing around Spiderman. He had it bad. And the worst was that he didn't mind at all.

"I feel safer there. Plus even though they know I'm in the neighborhood, they still can't figure out immediately exactly where I may come from." Nova explained and was glad that his voice sounded normal.

Spiderman nodded and looked ahead. Most of the time this was all they did. They either discussed the brawl or simply kept each other company while still looking around for any signs of trouble. If either found one, they would jump into action, not bothering to alert the other for it was not needed.

Then there were the quieter times when there was only a robbery or someone trying to break into a house. When that happened and they finished rather quickly, they would stand on the highest nearby building and would sit in silence. They would wait till sun rise and then they would part ways without even saying a simple 'thank you for the help' or 'have a nice day' or 'I hope you didn't get hurt' because neither Nova, nor Spiderman needed it. They were happy with the way things were. Nova knew how thankful Spiderman was for the help even though he would never admit it. And Spiderman knew how grateful Nova was for being able to fight alongside him and for the lent hand.

Things were simple. Things were easy between them. Neither of them got too attached to the other because they knew how dangerous what they did was. Spiderman knew he would be sad if one day Nova died and he was aware that Nova would be affected by his death as well if it happened. But they would not allow themselves to dwell too much on something so trivial because after all what was one life compared to that of the millions that lived in this city? Nothing. And that was why they would continue as though nothing had happened; as though the other was nothing but a mere shadow in the endless sea of lost lives.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. **

**A/N: A huge thank you for the reviews, follows, favourites. A response to your reviews:**

**Guest: Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoy reading this story and find this plot bunny interesting. **

**Flamen007: I think this chapter answered your question. ;) **

**Until next time I update and/or post a story my fellow readers, **

_~ QueenofRhymes ~_


	4. Chapter 4

"God I hate math!" Sam moaned as he clutched his math textbook, desperately flicking through it in an attempt to cram in the last minute. After five minutes his efforts turned out to be in vain and he gave up. He might as well spend the next five minutes before class started chatting with Luke.

"When did the stupid teacher say he was going to give us a test on last year's material? I mean we haven't even begun yet?! And it's not your usual surprise quiz the purpose of which is…."

"Alright, alright, alright. I get it. It's unfair, but, honestly, I don't see the difference. And he did not warn us in advance. And for the record, you moan louder than a seal giving birth." Luke said, heaving an exasperated sigh.

Sam huffed and was about to comment on Luke's choice of words at the end when his eyes landed on someone he had recently met. Sam did not know what overcame him, but he could not help but smile and whistle, drawing the kid's attention. Sam waved enthusiastically and motioned for the boy to come and sit in front of him and Luke.

Peter blushed slightly from embarrassment, but ignored the slight anger that had started rising. He kept repeating in his mind that that was just who Sam was – loud, obnoxious, irritating… wait, why was he friends with him again? Oh yeah Sam had saved his life and there was just something about that boy that made him likeable no matter how much he annoyed Peter sometimes.

"What's up?" Luke asked when Peter sat down.

Peter shrugged and answered:

"Nothing. Just getting ready for another wonderful school year. The usual."

"Doesn't sound like nothing to me! They should be paying us for all the stress we have to endure!" Sam grumbled as he put his head on his hands in order to be more comfortable.

Luke and Peter chuckled at the boy's antics. If there was one thing Sam Alexander hated, that was school and they both knew it yet they could not help but admire the effort Sam made when he wanted to finish something. And even though he said that he did it only because he did not want to fail, Luke and surprisingly even Peter knew that there was more behind those words. Unfortunately, not even Luke was aware of what truly motivated Sam.

"Hey Pete, you ready for the quiz?" Luke asked to which Peter nodded.

"It's not a quiz, it's a test actually." Peter corrected.

"Does it matter? It's still stupid." Sam grumbled yet again.

Peter chuckled. Normally he would not propose doing such a thing, but seeing how cute Sam looked when he was moaning and complaining was too hard to resist. Peter wondered how Sam would look if the cause of his moans was something different, entirely different…No! He should not go there, not when the object of his fantasies and friends were right in front of him!

"Normally I would not suggest or offer such a thing, but if you're so worried about failing, I could help you out. I mean surely it would not be that hard to tell you enough right answers in order to get a D, right?"

Sam's left eyes twitched. Just how stupid did his friends think he was? Sure he did not pay much attention in class and hardly ever studied, but even he could remember enough of the material of last year in order to pass. The thing that angered him even more, however, was the fact that Peter had known him for what? Two weeks? They were not even that close and yet he had the nerve to make stupid assumptions and even more so – ones that were not even true in the slightest.

"I appreciate the help, but don't underestimate my intelligence. I think I can handle one quiz by myself." Sam answered icily, which made Peter flinch slightly. Apparently the blue-eyed teen still had not got used to Sam's sudden mood swings. It intrigued and bewildered Peter how fast and easy it was for Sam to change from one mood to the next in a matter of minutes, if not seconds.

Peter held up his hands and said:

"I was only trying to help man. No need for you to get all riled up about nothing."

Sam pinched the bridge of his nose and replied:

"Like I said I'll be fine."

With that he got up from his seat and went to sit in the opposite side of the room, leaving a bewildered Peter and worried Luke behind.

"What did I do this time? Usually it takes him only a few seconds to get over an argument we've just had and this can't even be classified as one." Peter said and looked at Luke for some answers. The thing that he saw, however, was not what he had been expecting. He was hoping that Luke would be able to answer him and was praying that he would not be mad at Peter for hurting Sam's feelings or whatever it was that Peter's harsh words and mocking tone had bruised. However, he saw nothing of the like. Instead of anger or disappointment, Peter saw pain and worry clouding Luke's normally cheerful and resolute features. One thing was for sure – something definitely was not right with Sam and it was not Peter's fault for his current condition.

* * *

><p>It was now lunchtime and Peter and Sam had yet to speak. Luke was finding it harder and harder to try to get those two to just sit down and talk. He knew what day was approaching and how hard it was for Sam to stay sane or sober on said day. And even if he did not get wasted, he'd still be quite somber and thanks to his melancholy, there was no way in hell you could get a normal word out of him or interact with Sam without him snapping at you every now and then. That was why Luke hated the 23rd of September. It was the only day of the year when he was afraid for his best friend's life. It was even scarier and more life threatening than what Sam did with his mask on.<p>

"I've searched everywhere and I have yet to find Sam. I even double checked the places he usually goes to." Peter said.

Luke sighed and ran a hand through his hair. This was starting to get out of hand. Perhaps it was high time he told Peter a little more about Sam. He knew the latter would not approve, but what other choice did Luke have? He'd rather have Sam safe and sound with a few secrets discovered than dead and all his secrets buried with him.

"Listen Pete there's something I have to tell you about Sam's….past." Luke hesitated when he said that word. It felt foreign on his tongue. He had never referred to the accident as part of the past. He normally did not even address the issue when Sam was around.

"Hey there he is!" Peter exclaimed and ran off to a bench in the park that was near the school. Luke gaped at the teen but decided not to join them. He knew it would only be harder for Sam to keep his mask on when Luke was around.

* * *

><p>Peter ran as fast as he could and was soon in front of Sam. He sat down on the bench and elbowed the boy in the gut. Sam gasped for breath and winced in pain. The impact had not been that big, but it still hurt.<p>

"What the hell man? What was that for?!" Sam yelled as he rubbed the spot he had been elbowed at just a while ago.

Peter glared at Sam when he answered:

"That was for worrying me."

Peter then hit Sam again and added, "And that was for making Luke worried as well."

Peter was just about to hit Sam for the third time, but the boy managed to dodge it. Sam glared at Peter, but soon his eyes softened and he apologized.

"I'm sorry for causing so much trouble. Normally it's easier to deal with this shit on my own. I guess what they say about time being able to heal all wounds is nothing but bullshit."

Peter's eyes widened slightly, but he understood immediately. Something had happened a long time ago around this date and it still had an effect on Sam, a bad one at that. Peter wanted to do something to comfort the boy or help him out, but deep down he knew that there was nothing he could do or say to change the past. That was the main problem with the past – it could not be erased no matter how hard you tried or wanted that to happen.

"Want to talk about it?" Peter asked, figuring it was best to start from there, see if Sam wanted to share his troubles and get involved if he received a positive answer. If not, Peter would stay away and not pry or rather he would try, key word: try.

Sam shook his head and looked down at the concrete. He kicked a pebble that was near the wastebin. Peter bit his bottom lip. He had been hoping to receive a positive answer, but as it turned out, he had been given a negative one. With a deep sigh Peter got up and started walking back to the school. After all, he had made a promise not to disturb or venture into unknown territories and he was going to keep it. Plus, he and Sam had known each other for a little over a few weeks. It was not like they were best friends or anything.

* * *

><p>Peter tried to laugh it off. He wanted to erase that part of his brain that was screaming at him for leaving Sam to sit alone on that cold bench. He wished he could mute the sound of his annoying conscience but in truth he could not. Not now at least. Perhaps in the future Peter would've gained enough experience to be able to turn such trivial things on and off.<p>

"You're wrong. Having a conscience is not something trivial. It is important. Sometimes it could help you decide whether it's better to save or take someone's life."

Peter turned around sharply. His eyes widened when he saw who was in front of him. He was just about to go home since school had finished earlier than usual (the biology and chemistry teachers had suddenly left and the principal wasn't able to find someone to cover for them on such short notice) when he heard someone respond to his thoughts.

"You were speaking….or rather talking out loud." Sam said as he gave a nervous laugh at the end. The boy then scratched the back of his head and added, "Um…listen I… ugh I don't even know where to start."

Peter was slightly puzzled by the incoherent blabbering that followed Sam's not so understandable second sentence. Peter sighed and rubbed his forehead as he listened to the boy before him struggle to find the right words to say or even a suitable word to begin with. After a few minutes Peter was fed up with all the nonsense that had come out of Sam's mouth and put his hand up. The gesture made Sam shut up immediately. Sam looked at Peter, slightly afraid and worried that he had probably made the boy angry, but that was not the case. Instead Peter was smiling and was finding it hard to hold back his chuckles. He even had to put a hand in front of his mouth and laugh quietly. Sam's left eye started twitching, but he managed to recover soon. After a few seconds Peter did as well.

Sam was grateful that he had not angered Peter with his partially selfish actions. The only problem was that he did not know where to start. He was just about to say something when Peter beat him to it.

"Can we start over?" Peter asked.

Again Sam was thankful. He nodded and took a deep breath in. Sam then opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He tried again and again, but the result was the same. He could not utter a single damn word. And the worst part was he could not even look Peter in the eye and apologize. That was why Sam did the one thing he knew all too well – he ran away.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**A/N: Sorry for the late update and for any mistakes I've made. **

**I hope you liked it. Please review! **

**Until next time I update and/or post a story my fellow readers, **

_~ QueenofRhymes ~ _


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